Aggression: Neural and Hormonal influences

Question 1

What are the 2 neural influences on aggression?

Answer 1

Limbic system (amygdala and hypothalamus)
Serotonin

Question 2

What are the hormonal influences on aggression?

Answer 2

Testosterone

Question 3

What’s Serotonin?

Answer 3

A neurotransmitter implicated in many different behaviours and physiological processes, incl aggression, eating, behaviour, sleep and depression

Question 4

What’s Testosterone?

Answer 4

A hormone produced mainly by the testes in males but is also occurring in females.
Associated with the development of secondary sexual characteristics and is implicated in aggressive and dominant behaviours

Question 5

What’s the limbic system?

Answer 5

The area of the brain that helps to coordinate behaviours that satisfy motivational and emotional urges like aggression and fear.

Question 6

What’s the role of the amygdala in the limbic system?

Answer 6

Evaluates emotional importance of sensory information and stimulates aggressive responses

Question 7

What’s the role of the hippocampus in the limbic system?

Answer 7

Forms LTM so an animal can compare the conditions of the current threat to similar past experiences.

Question 8

What does damage to the hippocampal region do in aggression?

Answer 8

Prevents the nervous system from putting things into a relevant context thus, causing the amygdala to respond inappropriately to sensory stimuli, resulting in aggressive behaviour.

Question 9

How does serotonin influence aggression?

Answer 9

Inhibits firing of amygdala to regulate aggressive behaviour.

Question 10

What’s the serotonin deficiency hypothesis?

Answer 10

Les inhibition of serotonin reduces the control over aggressive responses, causing aggressive behaviour.

Question 11

Briefly describe what testosterone is and where it’s produced?

Answer 11

Hormone produced mainly by males in testes but also occurring in females.

Question 12

Describes two influences of testosterone in the body.

Answer 12

Development of secondary sexual characteristics
Associated with higher levels of aggression.

Question 13

Why is testosterone associated with higher levels of aggression?

Answer 13

It’s action on aggression-related areas of the brain e.g. amygdala.

Question 14

What evidence is there of the role of testosterone in aggression?

Answer 14

Dabbs et al. (1987)
Measured salivary testosterone in violent and non-violent criminals.
Those with higher T levels had a history of committing violent crimes and those with lower T levels had committed only non-violent crimes.

Question 15

AO3: Neural and Hormonal influences

Answer 15

+Research evidence
+Strengths of using the biological approach
+/- Extension of the theory of testosterone influence on aggression
-Limitation of the neural and hormonal influences of aggression on influences

Question 16

(+AO3) Outline research evidence for the role of serotonin in aggression.

Answer 16

Monkeys.
Increased serotonin levels through drugged food.
Found reduces aggressive behaviour. Suggests important link but issues with generalisation due to animal research.

Question 17

(+AO3) Describe the strengths of using the biological approach to aggression.

Answer 17

Includes brain structures, neurochemistry, hormonal influences. Objective approach, empirical evidence e.g. brain scans and hormonal levels. Reduces chance of bias, subjectivity impact on theories. High validity and reliability.

Question 18

(+/-AO3) Explain an extension of the the theory of testosterone’s influence on aggression.

Answer 18

Dual-testosterone hypothesis. T does not work alone. Antagonistic relationship with stress-related hormone cortisol. Increased T levels associated with increased aggression only when cortisol levels low. Different hormones have influence so theory is more complex.

Question 19

(-AO3) Explain a limitation of the neural and hormonal influences of aggression on influences.

Reductionist

Answer 19

Overly reductionist explanations. Reduces to basic units and small parts. Ignores other levels of explanations e.g. environmental or psychic. Leads to limited understanding. However, establishing causal relationships important for development of treatments.